Canon 6D Mark II vs Panasonic ZS100

The Canon EOS 6D Mark II and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 (labelled Panasonic TZ100 in some countries) are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively,
in June 2017 and January 2016. The 6D Mark II is a DSLR, while the ZS100 is a fixed lens compact. The cameras are based on a full frame (6D Mark II) and an one-inch (ZS100) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 26 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 20 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their sensors, their features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 6D Mark II vs Panasonic ZS100

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon 6D Mark II and the Panasonic ZS100. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The ZS100 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the 6D Mark II is
only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Panasonic ZS100 is considerably smaller (55 percent) than the Canon 6D Mark II. It is worth mentioning in this context that the 6D Mark II is splash and dust resistant,
while the ZS100 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the ZS100 has a lens built in,
whereas the 6D Mark II is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the 6D Mark II and their specifications in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 6D Mark II gets 1200 shots out of its LP-E6N battery,
while the ZS100 can take 300 images on a single charge of its DMW-BLG10 power pack. The power pack in the ZS100 can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The ZS100 was launched at a lower price than the 6D Mark II, despite having a lens built in. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Canon 6D Mark II vs Panasonic ZS100

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 6D Mark II features a full frame sensor and the Panasonic ZS100
an one-inch sensor. The sensor area in the ZS100 is 87 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.0 and 2.7. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 26MP, the 6D Mark II offers a higher
resolution than the ZS100 (20MP), but the 6D Mark II nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of
5.76μm versus 2.41μm for the ZS100) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the 6D Mark II is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 5 months) than the ZS100, and its sensor
might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels.

The 6D Mark II has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during video recording.

The Canon EOS 6D Mark II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 40000, which can be extended to ISO 50-102400.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 are ISO 125 to ISO 12800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 80-25600..

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). Of the two cameras under review, the 6D Mark II provides substantially higher image quality than the ZS100, with an overall score that is 15 points higher. This advantage is based on 1.6 bits higher color depth, 0.6 EV of lower dynamic range, and 2.4 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Canon 6D Mark II»

Full Frame

26.0

6240

4160

1080/60p

24.4

11.9

2862

85

Canon 6D Mark II

Panasonic ZS100«

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

22.8

12.5

559

70

Panasonic ZS100

Canon R«»

Full Frame

30.1

6720

4480

4K/30p

24.5

13.5

2742

89

Canon R

Canon 1D X Mark II«»

Full Frame

20.0

5472

3648

4K/60p

24.1

13.5

3207

88

Canon 1D X Mark II

Canon 5D Mark IV«»

Full Frame

30.1

6720

4480

4K/30p

24.8

13.6

2995

91

Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 80D«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

23.6

13.2

1135

79

Canon 80D

Canon 5DS«»

Full Frame

50.3

8688

5792

1080/60p

24.7

12.4

2381

87

Canon 5DS

Canon 5DS R«»

Full Frame

50.3

8688

5792

1080/60p

24.6

12.4

2308

86

Canon 5DS R

Canon 7D II«»

APS-C

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

22.4

11.8

1082

70

Canon 7D II

Canon 6D«»

Full Frame

20.0

5472

3648

1080/30p

23.8

12.1

2340

82

Canon 6D

Nikon D500«»

APS-C

20.7

5568

3712

4K/30p

24.0

14.0

1324

83

Nikon D500

Nikon D610«»

Full Frame

24.2

6016

4016

1080/30p

25.1

14.4

2925

94

Nikon D610

Panasonic ZS200«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

-

-

-

-

Panasonic ZS200

Panasonic LX10«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

-

-

-

-

Panasonic LX10

Sony RX100 V«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

22.8

12.4

586

70

Sony RX100 V

Sony RX100 III«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

22.4

12.3

495

67

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 II«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

22.5

12.4

483

67

Sony RX100 II

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the ZS100 provides a better video resolution than the 6D Mark II. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Canon is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison: Canon 6D Mark II vs Panasonic ZS100

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the ZS100 has an electronic viewfinder (1166k dots), while the 6D Mark II has an optical one.
Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information
into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the ZS100 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the
6D Mark II (98%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. On the other hand,
the viewfinder of the 6D Mark II has a higher magnification (0.72x vs 0.46x),
so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 6D Mark II and Panasonic ZS100 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Shutter speed (1/sec)

Shutter flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Canon 6D Mark II»

optical

Y

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

4000

6.5

n

n

Canon 6D Mark II

Panasonic ZS100«

1166

n

3.0

1040

fixed

Y

2000

10.0

Y

Y

Panasonic ZS100

Canon R«»

3690

Y

3.2

2100

swivel

Y

8000

8.0

n

n

Canon R

Canon 1D X Mark II«»

optical

Y

3.2

1620

fixed

Y

8000

16.0

n

n

Canon 1D X Mark II

Canon 5D Mark IV«»

optical

Y

3.2

1620

fixed

Y

8000

7.0

n

n

Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 80D«»

optical

Y

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

8000

7.0

Y

n

Canon 80D

Canon 5DS«»

optical

Y

3.2

1040

fixed

n

8000

5.0

n

n

Canon 5DS

Canon 5DS R«»

optical

Y

3.2

1040

fixed

n

8000

5.0

n

n

Canon 5DS R

Canon 7D II«»

optical

Y

3.0

1040

fixed

n

8000

10.0

Y

n

Canon 7D II

Canon 6D«»

optical

Y

3.0

1040

fixed

n

4000

4.5

n

n

Canon 6D

Nikon D500«»

optical

Y

3.2

2359

tilting

Y

8000

10.0

n

n

Nikon D500

Nikon D610«»

optical

Y

3.2

921

fixed

n

4000

6.0

Y

n

Nikon D610

Panasonic ZS200«»

2330

n

3.0

1240

fixed

Y

2000

10.0

Y

Y

Panasonic ZS200

Panasonic LX10«»

-

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

4000

10.0

Y

Y

Panasonic LX10

Sony RX100 V«»

2359

n

3.0

1229

tilting

n

2000

24.0

Y

Y

Sony RX100 V

Sony RX100 III«»

1440

n

3.0

1229

tilting

n

2000

10.0

Y

Y

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 II«»

-

n

3.0

1229

tilting

n

2000

10.0

Y

Y

Sony RX100 II

One feature that is present on the 6D Mark II, but is missing on the ZS100 is a top-level LCD.
While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The 6D Mark II has an articulated LCD that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by
vloggers and photographers who are interested in snapping selfies. In contrast, the ZS100 does not have a selfie-screen.

The reported shutter speed and shutter burst refer to the use of the mechanical shutter. In addition, the ZS100 features
an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or
shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the 6D Mark II and the ZS100 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison: Canon 6D Mark II vs Panasonic ZS100

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 6D Mark II and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Type

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Canon 6D Mark II»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Canon 6D Mark II

Panasonic ZS100«

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Panasonic ZS100

Canon R«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

3.1

Y

-

Y

Canon R

Canon 1D X Mark II«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 1D X Mark II

Canon 5D Mark IV«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 80D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 80D

Canon 5DS«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 5DS

Canon 5DS R«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 5DS R

Canon 7D II«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 7D II

Canon 6D«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Canon 6D

Nikon D500«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

Y

Y

Y

Nikon D500

Nikon D610«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D610

Panasonic ZS200«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Panasonic ZS200

Panasonic LX10«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Panasonic LX10

Sony RX100 V«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony RX100 V

Sony RX100 III«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 II«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony RX100 II

It is notable that the 6D Mark II has a hotshoe, while the ZS100 does not. This socket makes it possible to easily
attach optional accessories, such as an external flash gun.

The 6D Mark II is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon.
In contrast, the ZS100 has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on eBay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the ZS100 was succeeded by the Panasonic ZS200. Further information on the two cameras, as well as related accessories, can be found on the
Canon and Panasonic websites.

Review summary: Canon 6D Mark II vs Panasonic ZS100

So what is the bottom line? Is the Canon 6D Mark II better than the Panasonic ZS100 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.

Ready to shoot: Comes with an integrated lens, while the 6D Mark II requires a separate lens.

More compact: Is smaller (111x65mm vs 144x111mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.

Less heavy: Has a lower weight even though it has a lens built in (unlike the 6D Mark II).

Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.

Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.

Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.

More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.

More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in January 2016).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 6D Mark II is the clear winner of the match-up (19 : 13 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera.

6D Mark II 19:13 ZS100

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 6D Mark II or the ZS100. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews: Canon 6D Mark II vs Panasonic ZS100

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog).

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other camera comparisons

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